**[Today's Intelligence 01]:**
While passing through the B Prefecture Service Area yesterday, you obtained the following intelligence—
In the northwest corner of the B Prefecture Service Area, there is a mutated hemp walnut tree.
The kernels of this walnut tree are of exceptional quality, with an annual yield of over 200 nuts when mature.
Estimated annual value: approximately 600,000!
Recommendation: Purchase it!
**[Note]:** This walnut tree is scheduled to be cut down by the service area's landscaping department tomorrow around 11 a.m.
…
"A mutated hemp walnut tree? Annual value of 600,000!"
Upon seeing the first piece of intelligence refreshed today, Jiang Tao excitedly sat up in bed.
Although he knew nothing about walnut collectibles, since the System Bro said it was worth around 600,000 annually, it must be worth that price!
"Could it be the tree Xu Li's dad and my dad were talking about while we were smoking yesterday?"
Jiang Tao suddenly recalled that while passing through the B Prefecture Service Area yesterday, he, his dad, and Xu Li's dad were smoking outside and saw that hemp walnut tree.
During their chat, Xu Li's dad even mentioned an amusing story about their general manager playing with walnuts.
"If it weren't for System Bro's reminder, such a money-making tree would've been cut down tomorrow—what a pity that would've been."
"I'll get up early tomorrow and check it out."
"Since it's going to be cut down anyway, buying it should be easy, right?"
Jiang Tao mentally planned to buy the tree tomorrow.
With a thought, he continued to check the next piece of intelligence.
**[Today's Intelligence 02]:**
While passing through the B Prefecture Service Area yesterday, you obtained the following intelligence—
There is a zombie car parked in the B Prefecture Service Area for three years.
Inside the spare tire compartment in the car's trunk, there is a hard drive key containing two bitcoins, valued at over 1.5 million.
**[Note 1]:** The car's owner has passed away and has no relatives, so the two bitcoins are currently unclaimed.
**[Note 2]:** A gentleman loves wealth but acquires it justly. As it's the Qingming Festival season, you might consider offering a bouquet of flowers to the deceased owner as a token of gratitude.
…
"…"
Although the second piece of intelligence was worth over 1.5 million, Jiang Tao's mood grew slightly heavy after reading its details.
The identity of the bitcoin owner was somewhat poignant.
"What a pitiful person."
"I hope you can be reborn into a happy, fulfilling family in your next life."
After a moment of reflection, Jiang Tao naturally wouldn't let these two bitcoins slip through his fingers.
And conveniently, they were also in the B Prefecture Service Area, so it was on his way.
After reviewing the second piece of intelligence, Jiang Tao, with a thought, refreshed the next one.
It was also the last piece for today.
**[Today's Intelligence 03]:**
While passing through the B Prefecture Service Area yesterday, you obtained the following intelligence—
Every weekend at exactly 7:07:07 a.m., a Dayun truck passes through the B Prefecture Service Area.
Either hitting the jackpot or being hit by the Dayun truck allows you to randomly travel to a new world.
…
"Whoa, B Prefecture Service Area again!"
"Is this…"
"A fixed crossing location?"
Seeing the third piece of intelligence, Jiang Tao couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time.
This intelligence seemed pretty useless to him.
His life was fulfilling, his marriage was happy, and his career was successful.
How desperate would he have to be to go to the entrance of the B Prefecture Service Area to "hit the jackpot"?
"Another piece of useless knowledge added!"
"Sleep, sleep. I'll head to the B Prefecture Service Area tomorrow morning!"
"That tree's not small either—I'll need to drive a truck to haul it back."
Jiang Tao mentally planned.
He casually activated [Deep Sleep Mode] and went to bed.
The night passed uneventfully.
The next morning at 6 a.m., as dawn was just breaking, Jiang Tao and Xu Li got up together.
They went to the bathroom to brush their teeth and wash their faces.
"Honey, why are you up so early today? It's not like you," Xu Li said, brushing her teeth and smiling sweetly at Jiang Tao, who was washing his face.
For some reason, Xu Li recently felt her husband was getting more and more handsome, more and more charming.
With his rapidly improving physique, even though he was quite lazy about exercising, Jiang Tao's body had changed significantly compared to before.
The fat on his stomach had completely disappeared, replaced by eight distinct abs.
His facial features had also become more defined.
But the most noticeable change was Jiang Tao's aura.
Compared to the old Jiang Tao, who seemed weighed down by bitterness and financial worries, the current Jiang Tao was full of confidence and vitality.
He gave off the vibe of a rising sun at dawn, brimming with energy.
Both strangers and those close to him could sense the massive change in Jiang Tao over the past few months.
Xu Li, as his wife, felt it most deeply and strongly.
"I've got something to do this morning."
"If I don't make it back by noon, you and the others can eat without me."
After washing his face, Jiang Tao wiped it and glanced at Xu Li.
Xu Li asked curiously, "What's the matter?"
"Yesterday, a friend from B Prefecture messaged me saying they have an old item they want to sell. I'm going to check its condition."
Jiang Tao's public identity was that of an "antique dealer."
His daily trips to Panjiayuan and some of his income came from this identity.
Xu Li said with concern, "It's the festival, and there'll be a lot of cars and people. Be careful driving. Should I come with you?"
"No need. You stay home with Little Xue. It's not far—I'll be back soon."
"I'll see if Shijie and Shaojie are around and take them with me for company."
"Alright, then. You all be careful and drive slowly."
Seeing that Jiang Tao had his own plans, Xu Li didn't insist on going with him.
Just as Jiang Tao finished washing up, the sound of a car engine roared outside.
"Probably Zhi Yuan arriving. I'll go check."
Jiang Tao said to Xu Li, crossed the courtyard, and opened the gate.
Sure enough, Liu Zhi Yuan parked his truck at Jiang Tao's front gate, hopped out, and walked over.
"Brother Jiang! Wow, it's been a month, and you're looking more and more like a big boss!"
As soon as Liu Zhi Yuan got out and saw Jiang Tao open the gate, his eyes lit up, and he threw in a bit of flattery.
"What big boss? I'm just a small-time entrepreneur at best."
Jiang Tao laughed, stepped forward, and patted Liu Zhi Yuan on the shoulder, saying, "You, on the other hand, seem to have been living too comfortably at home this past month. Gained twenty pounds, huh?"
"Big head, thick neck—you look more like a big boss than me."
"Haha, Brother Jiang, don't tease me!"
"I'm just following you to make a living. I'll always be your loyal sidekick."
Liu Zhi Yuan scratched his head and chuckled sheepishly.
He was now firmly set on clinging to Jiang Tao, his golden ticket.
Before the New Year, he made over 100,000 selling tangerines with Jiang Tao.
After the New Year, he made another 100,000+ selling cattle with him.
In just a couple of months, he'd earned nearly 300,000!
Liu Zhi Yuan now saw Jiang Tao as closer than his own father.
Well, that might be a slight exaggeration, but only slightly.
"Let's get the gang together tonight at the Magnolia Hotel and split the profits from the cattle farm."
Hearing Jiang Tao mention splitting money, Liu Zhi Yuan's smile grew even brighter!
"Got it, Brother Jiang!"
Jiang Tao said, "I'm heading out this morning for some business, so I won't invite you in."
"No worries, no worries. Brother Jiang, you go handle your business. My cousin's riding his bike behind me—he'll be here soon."
"It's early, and I bet Sister-in-Law and Little Xue are still sleeping. I won't disturb them."
Sure enough, as soon as Liu Zhi Yuan finished speaking, a lanky young man in his early twenties rode up on a Yadea electric bike from the alley.
The young man stopped next to Liu Zhi Yuan, looking at Jiang Tao with a mix of nervousness and respect as he greeted him.
"Brother, Brother Jiang, hello."
Hao Zhiming looked at Jiang Tao with both respect and admiration.
This Brother Jiang was a man of real ability!
His cousin had made over 100,000 in just a month after the New Year following Brother Jiang.
It had become a hot topic in their family.
In the past, hardly anyone would bother introducing potential partners to his cousin.
Even when someone did, the girls usually looked down on him, and it always ended in failure.
But this year was completely different!
Word got around that his cousin was working with a big boss and had earned 200,000–300,000 in a few months.
Relatives and friends started scrambling to introduce potential matches to his cousin.
And the girls meeting his cousin for blind dates, upon hearing about his income, were no longer aloof.
His cousin had achieved a spectacular turnaround in the dating game.
Hao Zhiming was naturally envious from the bottom of his heart.
None of the three brothers in their family were married yet.
Without a benefactor's help, relying solely on their own efforts, finding a spouse in the future would be a nightmare-level challenge.
"Brother Jiang, this is my cousin, Hao Zhiming."
Liu Zhi Yuan cheerfully introduced his cousin to Jiang Tao.
"Thanks for helping out today, Zhi Ming."
Jiang Tao smiled and greeted Hao Zhiming, pulling out a cigarette from his pocket and handing one to each of the cousins.
"No trouble at all, Brother Jiang."
"Heh, Brother Jiang, my cousin's not an outsider—you don't need to be so polite."
Hao Zhiming and Liu Zhi Yuan chatted with Jiang Tao, respectfully accepting the cigarettes with both hands.
While handing them the cigarettes, Jiang Tao activated his [Bole] title with a thought to check Hao Zhiming's talents.
**[Name]:** Hao Zhiming
**[Talent]:** Athletic Prodigy!
**[Career Path]:** Marathon Runner (Five Stars), Errand Runner (Two and a Half Stars).
"Huh, he's actually a talent!"
Seeing Hao Zhiming's talent and career path, Jiang Tao's eyes lit up, feeling like he'd struck gold.
If nurtured properly, this kid could definitely become a star!
It might be worth signing him to the MCN company for development.
**[Ding! Congratulations on using the Bole title to discover a promising talent, triggering the special task [Promising Talent]!]**
Suddenly, a *ding* sounded in Jiang Tao's mind, followed by a system prompt.
The next second, a blue system interface popped up automatically.
A notification appeared:
**[Task Name]:** Promising Talent
**[Task Details]:** Train Hao Zhiming to become an outstanding marathon runner and qualify for the national elite level.
**[Task Rewards]:** 3.88 million in cash, 8 points in physique, 7 points in charisma, 6 points in health.
**[Accept the task? Yes or No?]**
"Yes, yes, yes!"
After reading the task name and details, Jiang Tao didn't hesitate and immediately chose to accept the task!
Whether he could complete it or not, he'd take it first.
At worst, he'd just lose some wages if it didn't work out.
If he succeeded, the rewards were quite generous.
As for the task's difficulty…
For an ordinary person, it would be an almost impossible feat.
In marathons, qualifying for the national elite level requires a time of ≤2 hours, 19 minutes, and 20 seconds.
For amateur runners, finishing within 3 hours is already considered excellent.
A time of 2 hours and 19 minutes is basically the ceiling for amateur runners!
Even a top-tier influencer like "Da Zheng," who's at the amateur runner ceiling, couldn't guarantee finishing within 2 hours and 19 minutes every time.
So, this task was undeniably challenging.
But since System Bro indicated that Hao Zhiming had talent in this area and was suited for running, he was bound to perform well in it.
After accepting the task with a thought, Jiang Tao looked at Hao Zhiming's long, slender legs and smiled, saying:
"Zhi Ming, you've got a great build. Those long legs—it'd be a shame not to run."
"Haha, Zhi Ming's build is indeed pretty good. If I had his physique, I wouldn't need anyone setting me up on blind dates."
"Girls chasing me would line up from our Liu Village to the county seat."
Liu Zhi Yuan laughed and stood next to Hao Zhiming for comparison.
The two standing side by side instantly made Jiang Tao chuckle.
Liu Zhi Yuan was about 1.68 meters tall and probably weighed around 170–180 pounds.
He looked round and chubby, like Taiyi Zhenren, Nezha's master.
Hao Zhiming was about Jiang Tao's height, around 1.82 meters.
He was even skinnier than Jiang Tao—skinny arms, skinny legs, skinny face, like Shen Gongbao from *Nezha*.
As Jiang Tao said, it'd be a waste for someone with that build not to run.
"I ran for three years on the sports team in high school. After graduating and starting work, I didn't have time to run anymore."
Hao Zhiming scratched his head, a bit embarrassed by Jiang Tao's praise, his smile carrying a boyish innocence.
Jiang Tao looked at Hao Zhiming and suddenly asked seriously:
"Zhi Ming, I've got a question for you, and I need an honest answer."
Seeing Jiang Tao's serious expression, Hao Zhiming grew a bit nervous and said, "Brother, Brother Jiang, go ahead and ask."
Jiang Tao asked earnestly, "Do you like running?"
"Huh? I…"
Hearing Jiang Tao's question, Hao Zhiming thought back to his three years in high school, sweating it out on the school track.
He wasn't good at academics—his grades were a mess.
But he loved running with a passion.
Training through winter's bitter cold and summer's scorching heat, he never missed a session.
Back on the school sports team, he was known as a "running maniac"—he'd feel uncomfortable if he didn't run for a day.
The joy running brought was something non-runners could never understand.
But after graduating high school, due to his family's financial situation, Hao Zhiming didn't go to college.
Through a fellow villager's introduction, he started working at a factory in Ping County.
Working 12-hour shifts, day and night, his life revolved around work, eating, and sleeping.
Where would he find time to run?
But…
If asked what he loved doing most, it was definitely running—no question about it!
"I love running!"
After a few seconds of contemplation, Hao Zhiming looked at Jiang Tao with firm resolve and gave his definitive answer.
Jiang Tao smiled and asked, "I've got a job where you can earn money just by running and training. Are you interested?"